SAN FRANCISCO – Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic showed up to his postgame press conference Wednesday with a long scratch that ran from his nose across his right cheek, the result of an early swipe from Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins.
“It’s good. Makes me look tough,” Doncic said.
The final result? Not so cool-looking for the Mavs. The Dubs completely dominated in a 112-87 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, as Doncic was bottled up and scored just two points after halftime.
“Great job. That's it,” Doncic said. “That's all I've got to say. They did a great job."
Luka is a basketball luminary. No one can argue this.
On Wednesday night, though, Wiggins made Doncic look pedestrian. Wiggins took the lion’s share of the defensive responsibilities against Doncic. At times, he even picked him up 80-plus feet away from the basket.
He didn’t do it alone, though. Golden State also mixed up its defensive looks and threw some zones and box-and-one looks at Dallas to throw off Luka’s rhythm.
“They did a really good job,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Wiggins picking him up full court, they were box-and-one, went zone. But they did a good job. Give them credit. Wiggins did a really good job.”
TV cameras also caught Doncic grabbing his shoulder during the game. Luka told reporters that he was in a bit of discomfort.
"I felt a little bit of pain when I shot it, pulled a hand," Doncic said. "But it's OK, it's here behind. It's fine. I'll get some treatment and I'll be fine."
Doncic’s 20 points represent his lowest total of the playoffs so far. He also recorded a game-worst -30 plus/minus on the evening. The Warriors were happy with Wednesday’s result but they realize it’s just one game. The Mavericks trailed the Phoenix Suns 2-0 after the first two games of the previous round.
As Luka walked off the floor after the loss, he had a smirk on his face. He knows he’ll have another chance to play the Warriors on Friday night.
“Just walking off the court. That’s it,” Doncic said of his postgame smile. “I mean, looking ahead to Game 2, of course. It’s one game. That’s what the playoffs is about. If you lose by one or lose by 40, it’s a loss. We’ve just got to get ready for Game 2 now.”
